Closet-valve structure



June 1 1926. I 1,586,655

, J. w, COIOK CLOSET VALVE STRUCTURE Filed April 13, 1925 INVENTOR Patented June 1926.

.; W JOHN w'. ooox, or AVALON, rnmvsvnvama.

, I CLOSET-VALVE STRUCTURE. 1

Application filed *April 13, 1925. Serial No. 22,854.

My invention relates to closet valve struc-- tures, and particularly to mechanism for controlling the flushing valves of water closets and the like.

One object of my invention is to provide mechanism for effecting positive and accurate seating of flushing valves particularly those of the ball type, to prevent waste of water by leakage or otherwise.

Another object of my invention is to provide means whereby either a partial dis charge ofwater from a Water tank or a compl fie discharge thereof, can be effected at W1 i A further object of the invention is to simplify and improve generally the structure and operation of flushing mechanism for closet tanks and thelike, as will more fully hereinafter appear.

Some of the forms which my invention may take are shown in the accompanying drawing, wherein Fig.1 is an elevational sectional view of a closet tank and valve structure embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is apartial' plan and partial 'sectionalview oftheapparatus of Fig. 1; Fig. 3is an-enlarged detail elevational view of a portion of the apparatus of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is an end elevational viewi of the flushingvalve and a portion of the operatingmechanism therefor; Fig. 5 is a detail view, onan enlarged scale, of a'portion of the tripping mechanism of Figs. 1 to 3; 'Fig. 6 is'a partial plan: view of a modified arrangement for mounting the flushing valve operating lever,' and Fig. 7 is aview showing'a modified form of connection between the flushing valve and the lifting lever therefor.

I have shown my'invention as applied to a closet tank 7 that is provided with a float 8 that operates an inlet valve 9 which may be of the usual form, the valve being closed when the level of water in the tankis such that the ball 8 is carried to a predetermined height. An overflow outlet 10 is also provided' and the ordinary supplemental discharge ll that empties into such overflow.

.A- flushing-outlet12 is connected to the tank in the usual manner and is provided with a seat for a ball valve 13 which is carried on'a stem 14-that is bent laterally at its upper end as shown more clearly in Fig.1 4. Bracket members 15 and 16 are'secured to the overflow pipe 10 to carry guides forthe valve-stem 14. The stem 14' slides vertically in the guides-and has considerable lateral play in the lower guide 16. At its upper end, the valve stem 14 is loosely connected to a link 17 that'in turn has loose pivotal connection to a lifting lever 18.

The lifting lever 18 is connected to a rock shaft 19, the outer end of'which is squared and is provided with a handle or crank 20.

1,586,655 PATENTlOF FICE.

When the crank 20 isoscillated in a" counter a clockwise direction, the outer end, of the lifting lever 18 is elevated, moving the link 17 to a verticalposition and lifting the valve 13. The link 17 functions as a toggle so that as the upward movement thereof beginsthe valve stem 14. is given rotative movement about its axis, since it is supported in guides 15 and '16, andthe lower end of the link 17 is drawn from an inclined to a vertical position, thereby necessarily swinging the horizontal' extension of the valve stem to the right from the position shown in Fig. 1. lVhen the valve 18 is permitted to move from be hereinafter' explained, the outerend of the lever of course travels downwardly and serves'not onlyto force said valve to its seat but, by reason of the toggle link connection 17, imparts rotative movement to the valve, thus causing it to more readily center itself'on its seat, if it engages said seat in slightly off-center" position, but to effect a wiping connection between the valve and its seat to remove any foreignparticles that may be present between the engaging sur-' faces of the valve and its seat, and thereby insure snug seating. Furthermore, the lever 18 is preferably sufficiently heavy to exert a positive holding action on the valve when (not shown) to effect'a preliminary flushing '7 thereof. -Upon'release of thehandle 20 at this stage of movement the weight of the lever 18 and its associated parts is sufficient to-force the valve 13 backto its seat, against the pressure of the out-flow of water. This isbelieved to be distinctly new,

- this position downwardly to its seat, as will articularly in ball valve structures, since 1n such cases a slight opening of the valve will permit the rush of water to effect substantially complete opening thereof and complete discharge of water from the tank. At any rate it almost invariably happens, with the ordinary form of valve mechanism wherein a ball valve is employed that having been opened even slightly such valve will not seat tightly until after complete discharge of water from the tank. In order to effect complete flushing of the valve, the handle is swung in a counter clockwise direction tosubstantially the limit of its. movement. During this movement a locking bar that is 'pivotally connected at 26 to a bracket 27' which may be adjustable longitudinally of the lever 18, is elevated until its latching :shoulder 28 engages .a catch 29 as shown more clearly in Fig. 3. The pivotal point of the bar '25 is so placed that such bar will lend to swing to the right from the position shown in Fig. 1. The catch member 25) is carried by a bracket 30 which is secured, by a bolt and a clamp 36 to the overflow pipe 10. The bracket 30 is pivotally adjustable about the axis of the bolt 35 and the clamp 36 is adjustably positioned on the pipe 10., by a set screw. This arrangement permits the tripping mechanism to'be conveniently applied to flushing ta'nks of various forms and slzes.

A shaft or pin 31 is rotatably supported in the bracket 30 and has a float 32 secured thereto at one of its ends, the float preferably having screw threaded engagement with the shaft 31, or otherwise adjustable circumferentially of the axis of the shaft 31. A tripping dog 33 issecured to the opposite end of the shaft 31. The float 32 is disposed at such angle with respect to the dog, 33 that such dog will be rotated into engagement with the latching bar 25 to move it from the catch 29 when the water in the tank has been lowered to a predetermined level through discharge through the flushing opening 12. The member 33 may be adjustable about the axis of the shaft 31, in which case it may not be necessary to provide such adjustment for the fioat32 since the purpose is to provide suitable means for varying the relative angularity of the float and the tripping member 33, to adjust the distance at which the float moves downward before the bar 25 is tripped. This tripping action permits the lever 18 to fall from the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1 to that indicated in full lines therein, thereby closing the valve 13 in the manner above described.

Thebracket 30 includes two plates that have semi-circular recesses, as shown in Fig. 5, which form a bearing for the pin 31. The pin 31 is provided with shoulders 31,

r and the stem of the float valve 32 and the tripping member 33 are supported on the oppositeendsof the shaft 31 and are normally drawn against these shoulders by means of nuts. lVashers may be interposed between the members 32 and 33 and the shoulders 31, of a thickness to compensate for variations in the distance between said members and the shoulders 31 arising by reason :of changing the relative angular positions of the members and 33. Holes 37 are provided in the shaft 31 for the insertion of a pin (not shown) to hold the shaft against rotative movement while the nuts are being turned on the shaft.

It will thus be seen that if a partial discharge from .the tank Tis desired, the handle 20 is moved only a distance which will not permit the shoulder 28 to engage the catch 29, and that the valve 13 will be then immediately returned to closed position. On the other hand, when a complete discharge is desired, the handle .20 is moved to the right a distance suflicient to permit the latching bar 25 to engage the catch member 29, and the valve 13 will then be positively retained in open position until the fall of water permits the float 32 to move down such distance that the catch 33 will trip the latching bar 25 and cause closing of the valve 13.

In Fig. 6 I have shown a structure which is quite similar to the structure shown inthe other figures, but wherein the shaftis eliminated. Instead of the shaft 19 I may provide a short shaft l'9 thatisrot-atably supported in the wall of the tank, which is squared'at each end and the inner end supports the lifting lever 18 that is bent laterally and longitudinally instead of straight as in Figs. 1 and 2, but which functions in the same manner as does the lever 18. At its outer end the shaft 19 supports the handle 20 and when the handle 20 is depressed the shaft 19 is rocked and the lever 18 thereby elevated to open the flushing valve.

Referring to Fig. 7, I show a structure wherein the link 17 of Fig. 1 may be dispensed with. In this view, the lifting lever 18 is supported'upon a rock shaft 19 and is provided with a hole at its outer end for loosely engaging the upper end of the valve stem 14 The valve stem 14? has the same form as-the stem 14 of Fig. 4, but the lateral extension engages directly with the lever 18. Since the outer end of the lever18 moves through an arc and the stem 14 is held by vertical guides, against lateral movement, the laterally extended portion of the valve stem functions as a crank, operated by arcuate movement of the lever, to effectrotative movement of the valve 13.

I claim as my invention:

1. Valve structure comprising a vertically movable flushing valve, a stem therefor, a vertical guide for said stem, a lifting lever and a link connection between said lever 7 'said valve, a

and a oint on said stem eccentric to the longitu inal axis thereof.

a 2. Valve structure comprising a vertically movable flushing valve stem, and alifting lever pivotally supported adjacent to one end and loosely connected at its opposite end to said valve stem, at a point eccentric to the longitudinal axis thereof.

3. Valve structure comprising a vertically movable valve, a laterally extendingmember secured to the valve, and a lifting lever pivotally mounted at one end, and at its other end loosely connected to the lateral extension of said member.

4. The combination with a flushing tank having an outlet valve and an over-flow pipe, of an upwardly extending stem for ivotally' mounted operating lever connectec? at one end to said stem, a guide bracket for said stem secured to the over-flow pipe, a latch bar, pivotally connected to and depending from the operating lever, a second bracket connected to the over-flow pipe, a stop lug'on said bracket in position to hold the latch bar in up er- I most position when the lever is operate to" open the flush valve, a releasing dog pivotally connected to said second bracket, and a float connected to said dog for moving the same into position to trip the latch bar when thewater level in the tank has permitted the float. to descend to a predetermined point.

5. Valve structure comprising a vertically movablevalve, a laterally extending member secured to the valve, an upwardly moving lifting member, and a link connection.

between said laterally extending member and said lifting member, the points of link connection to said two members being laterally offset but movable toward relative 7 vertical alignment when the lifting membe is operated to raise thevalve.

In testimony whereof I, the said JOHN W COOK, have hereunto set my hand.

JOHN W. COOK. 

